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August 5, 2009

Mommy Advice Wanted: Stretch Marks

So, as many of you know, my daughter is almost 1 year ago. It was one year ago when I welcomed her into the world. How wonderful it was to become a MOMMY! Waiting 9 months had finally culminated into the best reward one could ask for. I can't complain: I had an okay pregnancy. I was healthy, but tinged with "morning" sickness for most of the months leading up to the Big Day.

I stayed at a reasonable weight, and my tummy grew slowly but steadily. I remarked at 37 weeks how lucky I'd been to escape the wretched stretch marks. I'd done my best to rub my burgeoning belly with cocoa butter every chance I had (I was graciously given Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter, which I LOVE). Then, at an informal photo shoot by my good friend, I noticed it: one lone itty bitty red line above my hip. Huh. I guess I had a stretch mark. It's not pretty, but if that's as bad as it gets, I'll be pretty happy.

Boy was I naive.

In the following 4 weeks (my daughter came 1 week after her due date), stretch marks gathered from near and far to rest upon my belly. I was discouraged. They radiated out from my belly button like a pebble hitting water. I had hope that once my little bundle of joy arrived, these lines would disappear and all things would go back to normal.

Can you say, "guess again?"

Presently, 12 months later, I am still strutting my tiger-striped stomach. I know jungle-themes are in this season, but SERIOUSLY?!? I try to view the stretch marks as a badge of motherhood that I can proudly display. I wouldn't trade my little chica for anything, not even over losing these old stretch marks. But these lines (and let's be honest, deep etchings) in my skin are a little unsightly.

So ask you:

What remedies do you have for Stretch Marks?

Do they go away with time? Does losing weight help them to disappear? Am I destined to keep them forever? Should I just accept their existence and celebrate them? What has worked? What has not?

Any advice or remedies you have would be greatly appreciated. I'll try just about anything, and will gladly let you know how it turns out. Leave a comment or email me: moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com

1 comment
:

I'll be honest. I don't even (try) to think about it - that I have them. Come to think of it... I think I've had them even before kids. And, I know that if I have any more kids (which we are talking about) then I'll either get a few more or get them back. I really don't believe anything will fully take them away. My sister (never had kids, but was a bigger girl) lost a ton of wait... and she still has them, for years.

I did have to laugh one day when my neice (3 years old) says, rather nonchalantly, after seeing my tummy (which I had no idea she was watching me fix myself around my waist), she says; "you're belly's getting old". A rather ha- ha moment for me.